HANA KIMURA, 22 DIES OF CYBER BULLYING. WHO NEXT?

Good morning and Happy Eid el Fitri to my Muslim folks and to my Christian folks, Happy Sunday.

It is saddening to learn of people’s death (you could say more saddening when its that of a celebrity), but its more saddening when we learn it was suicide. You begin to wonder what would make someone to take his or her life, right? You begin to wonder why couldn’t such person reach out to anyone. You begin to wonder the contents of the mind of such person moments before the deadly act was carried out.

Hana Kimura was a professional wrestler, whose dad Kyoko Kimura was also a professional wrestler before retirement. Her mom too, also a wrestler. It was more like she had everything laid out for her to be a wrestling star, and she took them. She had quite the live many 22-year olds would cherish. She was beautiful too. She must have been the dream of many males for companion. She would have been the role model of many other young females growing up.

She had signed up as a member cast for a reality series, Terrace House; where she had to live in with other celebrities of the Japanese culture. The show aimed to exhibit the attitude of the celebrities for who they were and not for what people saw them as. Hana Kimura had been involved in a spat with another member of the house, when he attempted to wash her wrestling gear, and that spiralled the hate from the cyber bullies onto her. Keyboard warriors who typed from the safety of their homes, pouring out heavy words heavy enough to drag someone down to her grave.

On the Nigerian Twitter space this past week, a similar event occurred where a lady who had exhibited beautiful pictures of she and her lover on the timeline, was being bullied to speak since the relationship was over. Most of the comments, probably meant for purpose of laughter were strewn out, without thinking the effect these words had on the lady in question.

Cyber bullying is a persistent act in cyberspace (or internet) intended to make life unpleasant for another person. Hurtful comments were dished out to troll the young Hana Kimura, and before her death on Friday, she made a post on her Instagram handle with her cat which when translated, read thus: “I love you, have fun. I am sorry”

The post she even made on her twitter handle was even one to send the message more. She wrote: “Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn’t deny that I was hurt. I’m dead. Thank you for giving me a mother. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you to everyone who supported me. I love it. I’m weak, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a human anymore. It was a life I wanted to be loved.”

 Cyber bullying won’t stop soon, it won’t be stopping anytime soon too, especially with the advent of the digital age. Many people are just people like you, and not the ‘strong person’ you make them to be. You shouldn’t be so diligent on dragging people down.

Always know that one is a human, just a human before any other title. Today, it’s Hana Kimura of Japan, tomorrow would be who?